


Oh Christmas lights keep shining on

by youarethelight



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Mentions of Choni, Mentions of Varchie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21705265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youarethelight/pseuds/youarethelight
Summary: When Betty falls sick around the Holidays Jughead gets in the Christmas spirit to cheer her up with some of her favorite festive things.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 14
Kudos: 22
Collections: Bughead Secret Santa





	Oh Christmas lights keep shining on

**Author's Note:**

  * For [loonyBibliophile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyBibliophile/gifts).



Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday's to my Bughead Secret Santa **elizabethbettscooper** (aka 'loonybibliophile') I'm not much of a writer so I'm hoping this is OK for you! <3 I've realised this doesn't cover all of your prompt ideas but I tried to incorporate some of your favourite Christmas traditions and things into the fanfic to make it more personalised. I'm also from the UK so tried my best to remember to switch some of the words to the US versions so there may be one or two I missed. 

........

**Betty**

The alarm clock blared next to the bed as a bleary-eyed Betty Cooper shuffled her hand across the dresser and fumbled for the off switch. Once she successfully turned off the device she turned her head back onto her pillow in a bitter attempt to stay in bed, however, the smell of food was begging her to go downstairs and investigate. Betty groaned as she started her descent into the land of awake. She sat and rubbed her eyes and looked over to the space next to her. It was empty so Jughead was already awake and, that smell, must be something he was cooking up for breakfast, she assumed. Betty groaned again as she walked over to the chair in the corner of the room and tugged on her dressing gown. Her bare feet were cold against the morning chill but her stomach felt warm and she smiled as she realised Jughead must have warmed her hot wattle bottle and put it in bed next to her. 

She picked up the hot water bottle and held it to her body whilst she felt around for her slippers with her toes. Effectively finding her slippers she tugged them on, letting out a satisfied sigh as her toes were enveloped in their fluffy warmth. Still fighting the sleep coma she was trying to get out of, she didn't pay any attention when she walked down the staircase, and stopped suddenly at the bottom stair as reached the kitchen. 

Betty smiled, instantly awake, as she entered the kitchen and took in the sight that surrounded her. There were paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and paper chains streamed throughout the kitchen and, from what Betty could see from the slitter of the lounge beyond, this was draped around the entire downstairs of their home. There were old fashioned bauble lights, in bright silvers and snowy whites, twinkling at her from across the pin board and tinsel in traditional golds and green hung around the kitchen counter. The smells were a nose sensation, frying bacon wafted through the air, along with the scent of freshly baked cinnamon cookies and glazed ham. 

Jughead was stood at the stove, a plate of freshly baked cookies were on the counter, the steam still rising as they cooled on the worktop. In one hand he held a spatula as he flipped a piece of bacon over that was sizzling away in the frying pan. In the other he held a mug up to his lips, as he drunk his morning coffee. Since becoming a full time writer, Jughead had taken a liking to coffee, as it helped him through some very long writer-blocked filled nights. He hummed as he placed the mug on the counter and when he saw Betty his face lit up.

"Mornin'," he said, abandoning the spatula as he raced around the worktop to pull Betty in for a kiss. 

"Morning," she said, as she pulled away from him. She clutched at his arms, both which felt very soft, and giggled as she took in his appearance. "What _are_ you wearing?"

"What? This old thing?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, indicating his attire.

It was the ugliest Christmas sweater Betty had ever seen. It was red, fuzzy and surely handmade. It had a large fireplace in the middle, with stockings hanging on one sleeve. Underneath the fire, it had 3D presents popping out of the sweater and a reindeer eating a carrot on a rug, whilst Santa's butt and legs hung, stuck in the fireplace. If that wasn't enough it also had a Christmas tree, complete with real tinsel and baubles hanging off the other sleeve and lights which flashed red and green. There was way too much going on that Betty didn't know where to look.

"Where did you get that?" Betty laughed as she swung one of the baubles with her finger and giggled as she realised there were bells inside, which jingled as the bauble swung from the sleeve. "And why are you wearing it?"

"Some old family thing that was boxed away," Jughead shrugged.

"I literally cannot imagine anyone in your family wearing this," she teased, running her hand along the tinsel.

"We Jones' are a mystery," he joked, as he ran over the stove to stop the bacon from burning. "Coffee?" he asked, indicating a freshly made pot.

Betty nodded her head in response and yawned. She untwined one of the stools free from paper chain reindeers and sat down, rubbing her eyes with her fist. Grabbing a cookie from the plate she took a bite, the hot cinnamon dancing on her tongue.

**Jughead**

Jughead busied himself pouring a coffee into a mug and looked over at his wife across the kitchen. She was still looking a bit peaky but much better than she had been over the last few days. Betty had been feeling sick for the last week or two. She blamed FP, he'd been taken down with the flu when she and Jughead visited him and her mom a few weeks ago. _"Thanks FP,"_ she had said half-sarcastically half-angrily as she laid on the bathroom floor over the last week, her head stuck in the toilet. Jughead had received a sickness bug too, a few days after, but his cleared up within 48 hours, a fact which Betty resented every time she ran to the bathroom. 

The worst part about being sick over the holidays was that Betty couldn't enjoy Christmas, which was her favorite holiday.

Jughead, the annual Grinch, had taken off his metaphorical _'I hate Christmas'_ sweater, replaced it with a very real, very garish _'I am Christmas personified'_ sweater and tried made a vow to make sure his wife had the best Christmas she could, once she was feeling better. _"Fuck,"_ he had yelled, throwing a bad batch of burnt cookies into the bin at 5:30 AM this morning, as he made start on Operation Christmas. He had spent all morning, hanging tinsel and homemade snowflakes (courtesy of Jellybean) around the house and even went to the back yard to cut wood for the fireplace.

Sweaty and tired he had then returned to the kitchen to cook breakfast, vigorously drinking cups of black coffee to keep himself awake. 5:30 AM Jughead was a tired mess, sick to the stomach of the smell of cinnamon, but 8 AM Jughead, seeing his wife's face light up as she walked into the room, well just call him _'Mr Santa-Fucking-Claus.'_

Jellybean had laughed at him for the entire day yesterday as she helped him cut out paper snowflakes, reindeer and other Christmas-related characters. Jughead was terrible at making snowflakes and was considering bringing in reinforcements in Juniper and Dagwood, however, Jellybean offered to cut out the rest of the snowflakes if he did everything else. Jughead, abandoning the scissors on the table, spent hours creating the perfect Christmas home he could. Whilst he couldn't finish it all in one day he put up as much as he could (the rest would have to wait after sleep). The end result was a bit gaudy and tacky but he always remembered Betty saying (when she decorated for their first Christmas together in their new home): _"I'd like to think it's classy with a side of tacky and a side of cute."_

 _Tacky._ Jughead could do tacky, it was pretty easy since he had no idea what actually looked good. _Just chuck a few bits of tinsel and lights around. That will do._ "Très Tacky," Jellybean had called it, nodding as she took in all the decorations. To avoid suspicion, Jughead had waited on Betty (who was bed ridden still feeling sick) hand and foot, bringing her hot tea and food in bed all day. The sickness bug seemed to come and go, some days Betty looked like she was getting better but others she was their bathroom floor's best friend again.

"Here," he said, taking her hot wattle bottle and draining the water that was in there. "I'll boil some fresh water for you. Have another cookie."

They shared a smile and Betty giggled softly at him. That same giggle she made when she caught him wearing a dopey look on his face. He couldn't help himself. If there was one person who could turn Jughead Jones a complete mess it was his wife. He wouldn't last five minutes as a snowman, he'd melt instantly looking at her. _Oh fuck, he was thinking in Christmas terms now. He was screwed._

__

**Betty**

Betty took the coffee that Jughead had just set down on the counter and placed it to her lips, the hot liquid burned her throat but she curled her fingers around the mug and savoured the warmth. "What have you done with my Juggie?" she asked, picking up another cookie from the plate in front of her. Jughead, who was busy re-boiling the water, glanced over to see Betty giving him a sceptical look. 

"What?" he asked coyly.

"You hate Christmas," she observed, breaking off a piece of cookie and popping into her mouth.

"So?" he turned his back on her in order to re-fill the hot water bottle. 

"So?" she laughed. "You look like Christmas threw up on you ..." he turned around to give her back her hot water bottle, "Literally," she added, her eyes wandering over his sweater again.

He smiled and kissed the side of her head. "But you love Christmas ... enough for the both of us." He took her hands in his, "And I know you've been feeling like shit lately and haven't been able to celebrate as you usually do, so ... I thought I'd love it it enough for you, too."

"You know, Mr. Jones - "

"Yes, Mrs. Jones?"

"You're really quite sweet sometimes," Betty said, pulling him towards and kissing him deeply. 

"You know you've started a new Christmas tradition now," she said, hopping off the kitchen stool and making her way towards the lounge.

"This is a one year only offer," Jughead said, hugging her from the back as the walked over to the sofa. "Don't get used to this, Nancy Drew."

"Not that nickname again," she said jokingly. Since Betty started working for a detective agency, Jughead had taken to calling her 'Nancy' as a joke but would always follow it up with _"Nancy's got nothing on Betty Cooper"_ when he caught her glaring. 

"I thought you liked it?" he raised his eyebrow as he hovered over her.

"I do ... sometimes," she mused. "I prefer Jones though."

"Good," he opened his eyes and kissed her forehead as he hopped off the sofa.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked. 

"Just going to get the breakfast out. You hungry?"

"Starving!" she called as he entered the kitchen.

Betty sat up in the sofa and looked around the lounge. The paper chains and snowflakes continued from the kitchen, there was gold tinsel strung around picture frames and those old fashion bauble lights that Betty loved so much, were draped around every nook and cranny that was spare. Placed around the room there were several nutcrackers, those old fashioned ones with a lever at the back you pull to crack chestnuts.

Hung on the lounge door was a gigantic wreath. Betty hopped from her sitting position and walked over to the door to inspect the wreath closely. She touched the bristly leaves and brought the foliage to her nose so she could smell it. It was fresh. Betty loved the smell of fresh pine, the smell was almost evocative, taking her back to walks in the forest with her family. As a young child she would collect pine cones and greenery from trees, that had fallen to the forest floor, and then her and Polly would spend hours together making a wreath they could hang from the front door. Unfortunately, Betty would find out that, whilst Jughead tried with all his might, their front door was not nail friendly, therefore, he chose to hang it from their lounge door instead. The wreath was a woodland green, pine cones and cranberries decorated the circle and large red bow hung in the centre.

Whilst Jughead bustled away finishing the breakfast, Betty re-arranged the presents under the tree. Being Betty's favorite holiday, as a little girl she and would spend hours underneath the tree, shaking and feeling the presents, trying to guess what her friends and family had bought her. The pile was a lot smaller these days, with so many tragedies that cursed her friends and families over the years. Betty and Jughead had moved out of the family home after they married, Jughead had obtained connections with a small publishing company in Greendale and they moved to just on the outskirts of Riverdale to start a new life together. Her mom and FP still lived in the family home, Cheryl and Toni were currently off exploring the world whilst Archie and Veronica had located to New York. The four of them still made the effort to see each other as much as possible, even though they didn't live close.

Betty had found a job at a Private Investigators firm in Greendale and loved every minute of it. Jughead continuously worried about her safety, however, this job was a walk in the park in comparison to what happened to them in High School. 

Betty smoothed over the gift tag in front of her which read: _"Merry Christmas, B. Archie and I can't wait to see you and Jughead for New Year's celebrations in New York. Love you, V xoxo."_

Christmas had come and gone and it was now January 3rd. Residents had started going back to their daily working lives after the break and decorations were beginning to come down. As Betty was sick over Christmas, Jughead had suggested they postpone Christmas and celebrate when Betty was feeling better. They had left their Christmas tree up (the only decoration Jughead had set up prior to today) and Jughead now had gone out and bought more lights, as he knew how much Betty loved them, and he had spent yesterday and this morning filing their home with as many lights and decorations as possible. 

Betty sighed and placed the present back under the tree. They had missed the New Year's festivities and, through apologies, agreed to meet with Archie and Veronica in a few weeks, once Betty was one hundred percent sure her sickness bug had shifted.

Once breakfast was ready Jughead bought the food and sat down next to Betty by the tree. They ate their bacon and eggs, with a side of warm bread next to a roaring fire and talked and laughed for hours, like they did at the very beginning of their relationship. These days were Betty's favorite.

**Jughead**

After a day of relaxing by the fireplace Jughead stretched his arms over his head. "Come on," he stood up and offered his hand to Betty. "Get your coat on."

"Why?" Betty groaned, she was burried in a pile of fluffy blankets with her hand in an open box of fudge and clearly didn't want to get up.

"Come on," Jughead said excitedly. "I have a surprise for you." He pulled Betty to his feet and started to bound towards the coat rack.

"We're doing surprises now?" she asked. 

"Yes, now hurry up," he called from the hallway. He hurriedly put his coat and boots on. When he walked back into the lounge he could see Betty fishing around in the present pile. She picked out an envelope and, nervously, handed it to Jughead. 

"Can we do presents after?" he asked, he looked at his watch. 17:45. _Shit._ He only had 15 minutes. They'd have to power walk.

"It's my surprise to you. Open it, Jug."

He glanced at his watch again. "Okay, I'll take it with me. Here -" he passed over her coat, indicating her to put the envelope in her pocket, and helped lace her boots up. Betty laughed at his eagerness and teased him all the way out the door.

"I seriously don't know what's got into you," she exclaimed. He grinned and took her hand, quickening his pace as they walked for several blocks. The streets were dark now, the only brightness coming from street lights and the windows of people's homes. There was not a single Christmas light in sight. 

They walked for 9 minutes. When they reached the end of George Avenue they stopped. "Okay," Jughead observed his watch again, whilst fighting a stitch in his side. They left a couple of minutes over what he wanted but managed to arrive at 17:56. "This is good."

"Good?" Betty laughed through wheezes. Jughead could see the cogs in her brain trying to work out why they were here. "What's going on Jug?"

"You'll see," he answered mysteriously. He took Betty's hand in his and grinned.

"Jug," she said, pulling out the envelope from her coat pocket. "Can you open this now?"

"I will. I promise. Just ... wait, please?"

He hoped his puppy dog eyes were enough to convince her. She nodded and placed the envelope back in her pocket. "Now what?"

"We wait."

So they waited. For three minutes to be precise. Jughead had bought a flask containing peppermint hot chocolate and filled up two mugs for them both. The streets were eerily silent. Then at 18:00 the entire George Avenue descended into pitch black. The lights from the windows went out one by one and the street lights became dormant, the entire street was quiet and dark, only the smoke from their mugs was visible. Jughead felt Betty clutch at his coat jacket.

"Jug -" Betty whispered.

But Jughead didn't need to whisper back _"Just wait"_ because at that precise moment a set of Christmas lights sparked into existence from the house opposite. Jughead could hear Betty exclaim a soft "What?" in disbelief. 

One by one every house on George Avenue lit up before their eyes. Bright lights in every colour blinked before them, trees covered in silvers, roofs draped in blues and gates covered in pinks and greens. There were dancing Santa Clauses, balloon reindeer and sleigh, one house even had a Santa's grotto filled with presents. A house, belonging to one of the kids at Riverdale High, had a stereo system connected and was playing festive Christmas music into the street. _"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"_ rung out as a sign, that hung above the street, flashed above them saying _'Merry Christmas.'_

Jughead turned to look at his wife. Her eyes were full of tears, the colours of the lights reflecting in her irises. "Merry Christmas, Betty," Jughead said gently. She turned to look at him, her smile as wide as he had ever seen and whispered softly back: "Merry Christmas, Jughead."

**Betty**

Betty loved Christmas lights. She loved the colours, the fiery reds, the warm golds, the contrast with the icy blues and whites. She also loved how they made her feel, they transported her back into her childhood, at this moment she was a kid again, driving around town with her family watching all the light displays.

"I can't believe you did this."

Jughead turned to look at her again. "Ah, it was easy," he said, in that way Betty knew he was lying. She didn't say anything in the moment but would later learn that trying to get an entire street in Riverdale to turn on their Christmas lights on January 3rd was not an easy feat. Jughead had wanted to hold it in the street they lived in but had a rollicking from their new batty neighbour Mrs. Baker, who refused to hang the lights (Jughead had graciously given her). They learned quickly Mrs. Baker was not a festive, or nice, person.

"I'm so happy," she said. "Thank you."

"Piece of cake," he joked. "I just wanted to make sure you were able to tick off some of your traditions. I also have The Grinch and A Christmas Story waiting for you at home and, yes, it's the original cartoon Grinch, don't worry. I know it's your favorite."

"You know me so well," Betty kissed his cheek. "You know, I could get used to his new and improved Christmas Jughead."

"Yeah, well, don't count on it, Jones. I'm still the miserable Scrooge you married."

"I think Grinch is more appropriate, since his heart grew three sizes ... I think that part of your heart where Christmas is held is growing, Jug."

"Alright, that's enough you." He laughed at her teasing and pulled her close. They stood there, side by side, for several minutes, watching the lights twinkle across the street, bopping their head and humming to the songs blasting from the stereo, filling their bellies with the warm minty hot chocolate. 

"Oh yes," Betty said, fishing out the envelope from her pocket again. "You need to open this."

"Oh yes, the mystery envelope. Can't I wait till we're at home and we can open all our gifts?"

"Come on, Jug, just open it," Betty sighed, starting to feel annoyed that her husband wouldn't take the hint and open the damn envelope. She shoved it into his hand and stepped back, watching with a nervous smile as he opened it and pulled a card from the card. On the front of the card, in large gold writing, it said _'Congratulations.'_

"What is this?" he asked curiously.

"Just read it," she said. 

Jughead grinned to humour her and unfolded the card.

Betty held her breath as he opened the next three and read it aloud. " _To Jughead, Congratulations. You'll have to put up with me being sick for a whole nine months. Love, Betty_ ...Whole nine months," Jughead mouthed quietly to himself. He turned the card over in an attempt to try and find a clue on the back. After a few moments he still looked perplexed so Betty, laughing, circled her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, inhaling the sweet cookie scent she had sprayed him with earlier whilst they sat next to the fire. "Really think about it, Jug."

"Nine months, nine months of being sick, nine -" He stopped short as he realised, finally, what the card meant. He lifted his head to look at Betty, searching her eyes for confirmation. 

"Yes," she replied, "We're going to be parents -"

Jughead cut her off with a kiss. "I can't believe it. This is why you've been sick?"

She nodded in response. "I had an inkling but I took a test yesterday to be sure. I wrote the card this morning whilst you were in the kitchen. I was going to try and convince you to have our Christmas today so you would open it but I didn't need to do much convincing."

"Thank you," he pulled her in for a hug and she felt a warm tear wet her shoulder as he stroked her hair. "I officially love Christmas."

She laughed and pulled away, unbuttoning his coat. "Yeah, because that sweater didn't give it away."

His laughter rang out into the street as he pulled her closer. The peppermint hot chocolate flew everywhere as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around in happiness. _"Have yourself a very merry Christmas"_ now played across the street as they danced in each other's arms.

Betty loved Christmas lights. She loved the colours and the feelings, whenever she saw them they transported her back into her childhood. But in this moment, she was not a child again, in this exact moment, a moment of pure unadulterated joy, the twinkling lights started to fade away around them. If the world looked upon them now they would see darkness and grey surrounding them, in this moment the only light would come from them both, dancing in the luminosity of their love.

 _Oh Christmas lights keep shining on._ And they would, every year, every Christmas they would transport Betty, not only to her childhood but to this moment right here. This wonderful, life changing magical moment was reflected in every Christmas light they hung in their home for years to come.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this cheese fest. Hope you had a great Christmas and Happy New Year ❤️


End file.
